Building a house of your own choice is the dream of many people, but when they get the opportunity and financial means to do so, they struggle to get the right house plan that would transform their dream into reality. It is a long and complicated route from the first conceptualization of a home to the house designs, floor plans, elevations, cross-sections, structural designs, and finally the completed house plan that will ultimately form the basis of the construction of the home. Most people do not have a clue as to where and how to get house designs, or even to get the right designers who can do this job for them.

Pre-drawn house plans are those that are drawn by architects or home designers and then offered for sale, unlike those that are drawn for an individual, with input from the customer. While this method may be a great idea, there are definite benefits to purchasing pre-drawn house plans. Architects and home designers that do custom home designing also do a lot of their own designs, and it is these plans that are offered for sale, They are adept at making plans that utilize available space to the best possible advantage, and at laying out a floor plan to optimize curb appeal.

"Some communities promote close neighbors, and some communities promote more breathing space," Martin says. "It's not wise to use up every square foot of building space because you'll have less of a yard." If the lot is located in a suburban neighborhood, consider the placement of windows - take care that they will not align exactly with neighbors' views. Driveways should also be taken into account to make sure that there's plenty of room for parking and turning around.

On the other hand, stock house plans are substantial past drawn designs by a skilled designer or architect ideally of a specific purpose or general use. The question is, why choose a stock plan over a custom drawn plan? It all amounts to various reasons that are discussed below.